Valve-gear



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. J. LEWIS.

VALVE GEAR.

No. 539,920. Patented May 28, 1895.

llqlx mi' oms Ems w.. Mmmm. Mmmm., D. C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. W. J. LEWIS.

Y VALVE GEAR. No. 539,920.

9 7m 8 /W 1.1 l Y W 3 3 9 9 9 v u M Q d. NQS@ d IIIII lil Y W .m o. P Y QQPSSSNQ m (No Model.) A 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. W. J. LEWIS.

VALVE GEAR.

No. 539,920. Patented May 28, 1895.

(I ,4 f5.9 @zzz/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WALLACE J. LEWIS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE LEWIS VALVE GEAR`OOMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

G EAR.. f

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,920, dated May 28, 1895.

Application filed August 25, 1894.

To tZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE J. LEWIS,

' yresiding in the city'of St.V Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Gear; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of valve-gear embodying my invention, together with so much of the parts with which it is connected asis necessary to an understanding of the construction and operation of my devices. Fig. 2 is a plan view f the devices shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of' the parts shown in Fig. l,lookingin the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a detail enlarged plan view of the rocker-arm 7, link 8, and sliding bar 9, and the interengaging anges 7a and 8". Fig. 5 is a sectional view inelevation, taken on the line a: Fig. 4, showing the link 8 and rocker-arm 7 and flange Flin elevation.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My present invention relates more particularly to the construction of reversing mechanism for that class of valve gear used in conjunction with the slide valves of double engines, wherein two separate lines of reciproeating motion are applied, theione to overcome the lap and lead of the valve, and the other to effect the throw of the valve.

For purposes of illustration, the valve gear as applied to the right hand side of alocomotive engine has been selected-it being understood that it has its duplicate on the left hand side of said engine-and the two separate lines of motion have been obtained from the opposite cross-heads, but I do not intend the particular application of the inven tion chosen to effect alimitation in the scope of the invention.

Illustrations of valve gears of the class referred to may be found in the patent of F. B. Matton, No. 285,286, and my own patents, Nos. 331,799fand 355,770. The lines of reciprocating motion generated by such engines have respectively the same rate of travel, but as the motion of the two pistons of the double engineare not synchronous, being separate Serial'No. 521,322. (No model.)

in time approximately by half the period of a stroke, so the two lines of motion which are combined to operate the slide Valve of each engine have the same period of complete reciproeation, but are separate in time by half of that period. The object of combiningthese two motions, which have the same period but are not synchronous, is to produce a resultant reciprocation by 4which the slide valve may be operated with a varying -rate of movement more favorable to the expansive action of steam inthe cylinders than is possible with the ordinary linkv motion.

The function of the valve being to regulate thealternate admission and discharge'ot'.

cally, either with full boiler pressure or expansively, it is desirable that over the middle portion of its travel the movement of the valve should be accelerated and for the remainder .of its travel the movement of the valve should be retarded, and the longer the retarded movement can be maintained, consistent with the next following rapid movement, the better will be the results.

The object of accelerating the slide-valve during the middle portion of its travel is to quickly overcome the lap and lead and open the induction port (the same movement opening for the exhaust at the other end of the cylinder), and the object of retarding the movement of the slide valve during the remainder of its stroke is to obtain the full eX- pansive energyvof the steam. In order to etect this proportional and regulated acceleration and retardation of the valve travel, the two separate lines of reciprocating inotion, hereinbefore referred to, are each connected at different points to the same floating lever so that a third point of said lever will yield the required varying reciprocal motion to the slide valve. The action of said two IOO movements upon the `fioating lever, and thereby upon the valve, is so adjusted that when the reciprocal motion derived from the opposite side is in mid-gear, or at the middle point of its movement, the movement derived from the near side will give the slide-valve aV motion sufficient to overcome the lap and lead. Hence it is usual to sayin speaking of this class of gear that the valve receives its lap and lead from its own side, and its throw from the opposite side.

In double engines, where a reversal of trav'el or rotation is required, as in locomotive or marine engines, it is necessary to incorporate in the valve gearing some mechanism which without interfering with the construction Vand operation of the gearing as hereinbefore specified, will accomplish the reversal of the piston when desired. To this end, the main feature of my invention, generally stated, embraces the combination with the valve, a fioatiug lever for operating the valve, and means for actuating the floating lever at different points at the same rate of travel, though not synchronously, of a slide bar, and a movable guide box therefor, said two latter elements being interposed between the floating lever and the means which imparts the throw to the valve, whereby the reversal of the engines may be easily and readily effected.

A second feature of my invention, embraces an adjustable connection between the iioating lever which actuates the valve, and the means for imparting the movement to overcome the lap and lead whereby the lead may be increased or decreased at will. r

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings A indicates a portion of one side of the frame; B, the cross-head of said side; C, the cross-head lguide,and I) the guide yoke which couples the cross head guides of the opposite sides of a locomotive.

Extending transversely of the locomotive and properly journaled on its frame, are two rock shafts l and l, the first of which- (l) receives its motion from the right hand crosshead'B (or equivalent'moving element) and transmits it to the opposite or left hand piston valve to effect the throw thereof, and the second of which (la) receives its motion from the left hand cross-head (or equivalent moving element) and transmits it to effect the throw of the right hand valve-saidV rock shafts thus coupling and combining the duplicate valve gear ot' opposite'sides.

Therock shaft l (shown in the drawings) is provided with a lever 2 the lower end of which is connected with the cross-head B of the right hand side of the engine by means of a rod 3, and said lever 2 is provided at or near its middle with an elongated slot wherein is adjustably secured a thimble 4L in which is journaled one end of a rod 5 the opposite end of which is pivoted to the lower end of a floatingv lever 6, the opposite end of said ioating lever G being pivotally connected with the valve stem s of the right side or right hand valve, theright hand valve thus receiving from the right hand cross-head B (or its engine) the motion which overcomes its lap and lead, and as the rod 5 is adjustably connected with the lever 2 it is evident that the lead of said valve may be increased or decreased by a proper adjustment between the parts 2 and 5.

It is to be understood that the parts of the valve gear thus far described have their equivalents-or counterparts-the valve gear for the valve on the left hand side of the engine, and that through said parts the second rock shaft la is operated from the cross-head on the left hand sid-e of the engine (or the opposite engine as the case may be). To thenear end of 'said rock shaft l issecu'red arock arm 7 connected at its outer'end by a pin with the corresponding end of a link or arm 8 and thence through suitable connections with the floating lever v6 at a point between the connection of stem s and rod 5, whereby the motion of the opposite cross-head or that on the left hand side of the locomotivetor equivalent means) is utilized to effect the throw of the valve of the. right hand side, and to accelerate its movement during the middle portion of its travel.

In practical use of the devices it has been found that there is va tendency in the link or arm 8 to are vaway from the rock arm 7, to correct which I provide the parts 7 and 8 with inter-engaging fiange's or yguide tianges 7aand 8a (see Figs. 4 and 5, Sheet `2)the flange 7 being preferably of segmental form, off-set from arm 7 and secured thereto by screws or bolts 7b or equivalent means, while the flange 8a is preferably arc shaped and may be a portion of the nut which secu res'the pivot pin 9 ofsliding bar or slide link 9. e

For the purposes of a reversingfmechanism, the connection'between rock arm 7 and oating lever G is preferably of the following construction-that is lto vsay-the link or arm 8 which is pivoted to arm 7 is at its otherend pivoted to a slide bar or slide-'link 9 which slide-bar or link is in tnrnlpivotally connected with the parallel link 10, and the latter is connected with the oating lever 6, asl before specified. Link 10, slides horizontally in a bracket 11 secured to theiguide yoke D, 'and the slide-link 9 is arranged to slide in the :guide block or guide boxvlZ, vertically movable in a vertical guide bracket 13, also lsecured to the guide yoke D "or some suitable portion of the frame A. The vertically movable guide block 12 (one for each sideor engine) is connected by a rod 14 with an arm 15 on a rock shaft 16, which rock shaft is in turn connected with the reversing leverR by means of an arm 17 and link 18 oreq'ui'v'alent means. The arm 15a-(shown in dotted line Fig. 1)--for the guide block l2a on the left hand side (said guide block also shown in TOO dotted line Fig. 1) projects from rock shaft 16 in a substantially opposite direction, so that the reversing mechanism of opposite sides substantially counter balance each other and render the manipulation of the reversing mechanism comparatively light and easy work for the engineer.

From the foregoing description of the device it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the valve receives two motions, one from its own engine through the rod 3, lever 2,1od5 and oating lever 6, and the other from the opposite engine through rock shaft 1*", arm 7, link or arm 8, sliding links 9 andlO and floating lever 6. It will also be apparent that the raising of guide box or guide-block 12 on the right side above the center line is accompanied by the corresponding lowering of guide box or guide-block 12a on the left side, thus making one side balance the other. This will put the engine in forward motion, while the reverse movement reverses the engine or results in a back motion.

When in a central position or mid-gear, the center line of the pivot pin which con- '.necls arm 8 to slide link 9 coincides with the center or axial line of shaft la and the nearer said center is approached theshorter will be the out o.

It should be noted that by throwing the pivot pin which connects the lower end of the floating lever 6 and the rod 5 out of line the admission of steam in each end of the cylinder may be equalized for all out ois.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters `Patent, is-

1. In combination with valve gear having a floating lever for operating the valve and two sets of means for actuating the ioating lever, said actuating means having the same rate of travel but separate as to time, of a slide bar and slide-box interposed between the floating lever and themeans which imparts the throw to said lever and valve; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In combination with a valve gear having a floating lever for operating the valve and two sets of means for actuating the floating lever, said actuating means having the same rate of travel but separate as to time, of a slide and movable slide box interposed between the floating lever and the means which imparts the throw to said lever and valve, and an adjustable connection interposed between the means which imparts the lead to said Valve and the floating lever aforesaid; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In combination with a valve gear having a floating lever for actuating the valve and two sets of means for actuating the floating lever, said actuating means having the same rate of' travel but separate as to time, of a slide bar, a slide-box therefor, and a second slide link and guide therefor interposed between the means which impart the throw to the valve and the floating lever which actuates the valve; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In combination with a valve gear having a fioating lever for operating the same, two rock shafts one having the slotted arm, and adjustable connection with said oating lever, and the other having a slide bar arranged in a movable slide box, and a link connection with the floating lever, said latter link connection having a xed guide-or guide bracket; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a valve gear mechanism, the combination with the slide valve and rock shaft, of an interposed rock-arm, link, and sliding bar,

(said rocky arm and link having'inter-engaging flanges; substantially as and for the purposes specified. f

In testimony whereof I aftlx my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of August, 1894.

l/VALLACE J. LEWIS.

Witnesses: THEO. E. PARKER, JNO. HARROLL. 

